Ten Steps to Successful Software Process Improvement

Many organizations wish to improve the quality of software they develop, the predictability of developing it, and the productivity of the people developing it. One approach for doing this is to improve software development processes. Most process models identify purely technical approaches to improve software processes and seldom consider organizational or cultural issues. This paper, on the other hand, identifies ten steps for managing change that address these issues. Four of these steps are critical, that if not done, will almost guarantee failure. This ten-step program emphasizes the alignment of business goals, change process goals, and the work performed by the employees of an organization.